Prototype rebuild by the IMB Innovation Team. The official site is peoplegroups.org.

People group profile · PG022055

The Sino-Burmese of Myanmar

The Sino-Burmese of Myanmar, numbering about 1,300,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are an ethnic group in Myanmar (Burma) who are of mixed Chinese and Burmese descent.

They are an indigenous people in the Chinese people cluster of the East Asian Peoples. Their primary religion is Theravada Buddhism, and they primarily speak Burmese.

Pray for the Sino-BurmesePrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Sino-Burmese people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Sino-Burmese

Fast facts

Country
Myanmar
Population
1,300,000
Affinity group
Asian Pacific Rim Peoples
People cluster
Chinese
Primary language
Burmese (mya)
Primary religion
Theravada Buddhism
Strategic Progress Index
Engaged yet Unreached
Evangelical
Less than 2%
GSEC
Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
Lostness priority
Frontier Unreached People Group
Region
South-Eastern Asia, Asia

Where they live

Gospel status

The Sino-Burmese are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Sino-Burmese

  • Continue prayer and fasting for this group
  • Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
  • Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Primary religion

Theravada Buddhism · Buddhism

95% adherents

Primary language

Burmese · Sino-Tibetan family

100% speak Burmese

Gospel resources in Burmese

  • Bible available, published 2021
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Sino-Burmese

  1. Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
  2. John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
  3. Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
  4. Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.

Download a prayer guide

Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.